1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of concrete block walls, and more particularly relates to a reinforcing bar assembly and its method of use for reinforcing concrete block walls. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved connector plus reinforcing bar arrangement for joining two elongated reinforcing bars in, end-to-end orientation, wherein the assembled bars are used in a method of constructing a concrete block wall.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the construction of structures such as walls using concrete blocks, it is known in the industry to reinforce the wall by placing vertically oriented reinforcing bars through aligned vertical openings in the blocks. These vertical openings in the blocks are filled with a concrete "grout" material that surrounds the reinforcing bar.
Presently, as the wall increases in height, additional reinforcing bars must be added to the lowest reinforcing bar that is first placed through vertically aligned openings of the blocks. The present prior art practice is to couple the vertically oriented bars with wire that is wrapped several times around the respective end portions of the two connected bars, and to then continue to build the wall upwardly.
One of the problems encountered in constructing a concrete block wall in this fashion is that a bricklayer must lift each block an extra three or four feet into the air in order to place the vertical opening of the block over an upper reinforcing bar that has been connected to a lower reinforcing bar. Such is required because the bar sections are connected together when the ends of both bars are visible and accessible to the bricklayer.
Connectors for joining reinforcing rods per se are known. One example is the Howlett U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,552, entitled "Splicing Metallic Reinforcing Rods with a Threaded Coupling Sleeve".
The Bengston, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,808 uses rods in combination with a wall structure. The system includes a plurality of courses of masonry block, each block of which is formed with minimum webbing to minimize heat flow there through. The wall system is forced into a unitary structure through the utilization of post tensioning rods tied to reinforcing rods in the wall footer and extending through the voids in the respective blocks to a top plate position on the top of the wall. The rods are threaded and are post tensioned, the voids contained a polyurethane foam.
A connector for reinforcing rods is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,213,589 issued to Collings. The Collings patent discloses connectors that includes circumferentially spaced, radially extending tongues stamped or cut and bent inwardly of a tube. FIGS. 5 and 7 of the Collings patent show two embodiments of a connector that is said to be useful with reinforcing rods that are used in reinforced concrete construction work, particularly reinforced concrete column construction work.
Various patented constructions relate to the joining of electrical connectors, such as for example the Toquet U.S. Pat. No. 557,037 and the Durant U.S. Pat. No. 2,235,255.
The method of connecting cables the like and articles produced thereby is the subject of the Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 1,959,402.
Other connectors in general are seen in the Bourdon U.S. Pat. No. 1,753,041, entitled "Grommet for Pneumatic Tires" and the Rockne U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,890, entitled "Welding Rod Connector".